Experts reveal why Astronomer HR chief Kristin Cabot hasn’t been fired despite Andy Byron’s resignation

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: The July 16 Coldplay concert in Boston will be remembered less for the music and more for the scandalous moment where the kiss cam caught former Astronomer CEO, Andy Byron, cuddling with the company's HR chief, Kristin Cabot, before a sea of attendees.

The explosive moment didn’t just send the internet into frenzy, but also triggered a major shake-up at the AI and data company.

While Byron has formally resigned over the embarrassing row, Cabot has only been placed on leave by the company and is still listed on the website.

Why Kristin Cabot hasn't been fired

Astronomer has launched an investigation into the matter, but still, there is no update on what’s status with Kristin Cabot.

Amid the chaos, legal experts have explained that it is not all that easy to fire employees just over "ugly" headlines.

“In a real-world big company, you can’t just fire someone because the headlines are ugly,” attorney Nicole Brenecki told the New York Post.

“There are likely contracts, internal investigations, and legal issues involved. If HR greenlit what happened with Coldplay, and there is a supporting paper trail, heads will likely roll. It just might take a few more days before the axe drops,” she added.

Employment attorney William Cafaro also noted that firing Cabot wouldn’t be difficult, but he suspects the delay may be due to behind-the-scenes negotiations over a potential exit deal.

“Like if you were to look for a picture of ’cause’ [for firing] in the dictionary, it would show a picture of the head of HR having a public affair with the CEO of the company,” he said, adding that it’s “difficult to conceive” how she could continue in her current role.

Attorney Douglas Wigdor suggested there may be undisclosed elements to the Byron-Cabot relationship that haven't been made public — factors he believes could be why Cabot has not publicly left the company.

“Maybe there’s more to the story from her, that’s definitely possible about how it came to be that they’re at this concert and they’re embracing. It’s a short video so it’s hard to know what exactly is going on," the founding partner of Wigdor LLP said.

Legal experts say it's unlikely Cabot could file a sexual harassment claim, even though Byron was her boss.

“Unless she was pressured into the relationship because of a power imbalance, there’s not much of a case,” Brenecki said, adding, “If it was consensual… a sexual harassment suit would be a stretch. In fact, a jury might laugh it out of court. Being embarrassed on a jumbotron isn’t the same as being harassed at work.”

Is Kristin Cabot married?

Both Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot are reportedly married to other people. While the former CEO is still married to Megan Kerrigan Byron, the HR executive appears to be with Privateer Rum CEO Andrew Cabot.

The allegedly jilted husband is "six generations removed" from the person who inspired the launch of the company, also named Andrew Cabot, as per the Privateer Rum website. 

It’s not clear when the pair got married, but it’s at least the second marriage for each. Her previous marriage officially ended in 2022.

According to Cabot's now-deleted LinkedIn account, she has served as an “advisory board member” at Privateer Rum since September 2020.